Antiquities and Pre-Columbian Art: Expressions of the Past

Provenance:

Fine Arts of Ancient Lands, New York.

Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1981.

Exhibited:

Indiana, South Bend, University of Notre Dame, Snite Museum of Art, 1981-1991.

Published:

S. Morley and G. Brainerd, The Ancient Maya, Stanford University Press, 1983, p. 68, fig. 3.3.

Maya incensarios, or incense burners, were integral to ritual practices, serving as conduits for communication with the divine through the act of burning copal resin. Typically crafted from ceramic, these vessels were designed to hold incense and allow its fragrant smoke to permeate the sacred space, aiding in ceremonies and offerings. Incensarios were often elaborately decorated, reflecting the cosmological and spiritual significance attributed to their use.

This rare matched pair of incensarios stands as a striking example of Maya ceramic artistry from the Late Classic Period. Each urn features a stylized jaguar face, an iconography that held profound symbolic meaning within Maya culture. Jaguars were seen as embodiments of power, night, and the underworld, often associated with rulers and shamanic figures. The expressive faces, with their open mouths and protruding tongues, evoke a sense of vitality and strength, possibly linked to the concept of the jaguar’s roar as a powerful, otherworldly force.

Finding a matched pair of such incensarios is exceptionally rare, suggesting they may have been part of a larger ritual set or created to function in tandem within a specific ceremonial context.